Larry Brody's Guide to Writing for the Medium Everyone Loves to Hate

Holy crapoly, guys ‘n’ gals. We live in a dystopia where every new show being presented to us on TV and its hangers on is being labeled “dystopic” and “about a future dystopia where…”(fill in the dots – it’s easy cuz all you have to do is look at just about any new description of just about any fiction just about anywhere).

Except that it’s all bullshit, with the in, hip, trendy, and in and of itself totally dystopic buzzword of the day being used when it absolutely doesn’t apply. By which yer friendly neighborhood munchamatic magilla here means, CHECK OUT THE GODDAMN DEFINITION, OKAY MOTHERFUCKERS?!

Cases in point:

“Dystopia. Relating to or denoting an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.”

And “An imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives.”

With that I mind, munchamoneybags has to say, “Sorry, misreading, misinterpreting, misogynist momos,” but while yes, this is a dystopia if ever there was one:

As is this:

And this back in 2016 when we were all certain it could only be a fictional future:

This is not:

It’s just another interesting science fiction novel about a future civilization that has its good sides and bad sides and exciting sides and terrifying ones and everything in between, just like just about every civilization just about anywhere and anywhen.

And this:

Netflix’s Altered Carbon TV show is just another overblown, pompous, self-important, hideously violent, unconscious parody of every ridiculous trope used in every other science fiction show and film that totally misinterpreted what made the book interesting.

Oh Christ! The voiceover! Puh-leeze! And the music! Turn them off, turn them off, turn them off! For the love of God, montresor!

In other words, nope, munchikins didn’t really get much of a kick out of watching this abomination. But I sure liked writing this review.

“Call Me by Your Name,” Screenplay by James Ivory; Based on the Novel by André Aciman; Sony Pictures Classics (WINNER)
“The Disaster Artist,” Screenplay by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber; Based on the Book The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside the Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell; A24
“Logan,” Screenplay by Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green; Story by James Mangold; Based on Characters from the X-Men Comic Books and Theatrical Motion Pictures; Twentieth Century Fox Film
“Molly’s Game,” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin; Based on the Book by Molly Bloom; STX Entertainment
“Mudbound,” Screenplay by Virgil Williams and Dee Rees; Based on the Novel by Hillary Jordan; Netflix

Documentary Screenplay:

“Betting on Zero,” Written by Theodore Braun; Gunpowder & Sky“Jane,” Written by Brett Morgen; National Geographic (WINNER)
“No Stone Unturned,” Written by Alex Gibney; Abramorama
“Oklahoma City,” Written by Barak Goodman; American Experience Films

“Big Little Lies,” Teleplay by David E. Kelley, Based on the Novel by Liane Moriarty; HBO (WINNER)
“Fargo,” Written by Monica Beletsky, Bob DeLaurentis, Noah Hawley, Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, Based on the film Fargo; FX
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” Teleplay by Peter Landesman and Alexander Woo and George C. Wolfe, Based on the book written by Rebecca Skloot; HBO
“The Wizard of Lies,” Teleplay by Sam Levinson and John Burnham Schwartz and Samuel Baum, Based on the Book Written by Diane B. Henriques and Truth and Consequences by Laurie Sandell; HBO

“At the Capitol With Those for Whom Last Night Mattered the Most,” Written by Emma Roller; SplinterNews.com
“Becoming Ugly,” Written by Madeleine Davies; Jezebel.com
“The Super Predators,” Written by Melissa Jeltsen, Dana Liebelson; Huffingtonpost.com
“Why Did Politicon Make Me Want To Die?,” Written by Libby Watson; SplinterNews.com

Radio/Audio Nominees

Radio/Audio Documentary:

“2016 Year in Review,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“Castro, Cuba & Communism,” Written by Thomas A. Sabella; CBS News Radio
“CBS Radio 90th Anniversary,” Written by Dianne E. James, Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“Remembering Princess Diana 20 Years Later,” Written by Andrew Evans; ABC News Radio

“Hugh Hefner: A Social Revolutionary in Silk Pajamas,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“World News This Week November 18, 2016,” Written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio
“World News This Week: June 9, 2017,” Written by Tara Gimbel Tanis; ABC News Radio

Radio/Audio News Script – Analysis, Feature, or Commentary:

“Chuck Berry,” Written by Jerry Edling; KNX
“Dishin’ Digital on WCBS-AM,” Written by Robert Hawley; WCBS
“Holiday Stories,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“One Nation, Overdosed: An Investigative Report,” Written by Tara Gimbel Tanis; ABC News Radio

Promotional Writing Nominees

On-Air Promotion (Radio or Television)

“CBS Comedy,” Written by Dan Greenberger; CBS Television (WINNER)
“The Good Fight,” Written by Brian Retchless; CBS On-Air Promotions

Not surprisingly, our headline above refers to The Rewrite, written and directed by Mark Lawrence back in 2014 and starring Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei. No, we don’t know who rewrote it. But that doesn’t mean a rewrite or three didn’t happen, yeah?

by Pinar Tarhan

Marc Lawrence’s The Rewrite (2014) is absolutely delightful. Of course, your chances of enjoying it are higher if you like Hugh Grant and/or Marisa Tomei, romantic comedies that aren’t like every other romantic comedy and movies about writers. Not to mention, the cast includes J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney. J.K. Simmons’ loving but tough/sentimental (you need to see it) character provides a hilarious contrast to his Oscar-winning, ruthless role in Whiplash.

I’m a fan of the genre, director/writer (Mark Lawrence) and the cast. And as a screenwriter (aspiring, but still), I do have a weakness for movies featuring screenwriters and their world.

Isn’t it also great the 50-something protagonist is only 4 years older than the love interest?

So why do I recommend the movie to (screen)writers in particular? Let’s start with the plot:

The Rewrite Plot Summary

Oscar-winning screenwriter Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) is far from his glory days. He hasn’t been able to sell something in ages and is forced to take a screenwriting teaching gig in a cloudy, small town to pay the bills.

Moreover, he seems totally wrong for the job: He doesn’t believe great writing can be taught, starts a relationship with a young student (not Marisa Tomei) before his first day and pisses off the head of the ethics committee Mary Weldon (Allison Janney). Not to mention, he doesn’t even read the scripts of the students….

Did you know that audio drama, aka what your great grandparents used to listen to back in the 1930s is making its move into the big time right now? That production companies, talent agencies, and – yes! – TV networks are scouting the interweb audio drama scene looking for writing talent to shine their lights on?

Well, if you don’t, then you haven’t been paying attention to what we’ve been telling you here at TVWriter™. So here’s a list of sites that are saying the same thing. Do yourselves a favor and take a good look.

Content Writer

Hireup is a socially-driven startup using technology to revolutionise the way Australians with disability find, hire and manage their own support workers. Hireup is Australia’s fastest growing tech company, and with such rapid growth we’re looking to expand our small but dedicated team of (big) thinkers, builders, and doers. For our next recruit, we’re looking for a Content Writer to join our Sydney-based Communications Team.

As an organisation with a very personal story at its core, the Content Writer will play an important role as the voice of Hireup. Writing and collaborating on content for all kinds of different channels, including our blog and online presence as well as special purpose pieces, like this one in the Griffith Review. We have strong brand resonance within our community and our writing is a core asset in our work to drive meaningful social change for thousands of people with disability in Australia.

Great communications to us is about more than just marketing and advertising, it’s about looking at the broader picture and listening to the stories within our community in order to start conversations, inspire action and encourage others to share in our vision. Our aim is to use the power of thoughtful, strategic and effective writing to build a community movement that amplifies the voice of Australians with disability. The ideal candidate for Hireup will share these beliefs and know how to use them in fueling the Hireup brand love.

by Team TVWriter™ Press Service

The team behind several award-winning digital projects is back together for a new comedy web series: Sam and Pat Are Depressed. Created by Bri Castellini, starring Castellini and Chris Cherry, Sam and Pat season one was exclusively released with the indie streaming platform SeekaTV. The full season, comprised of nine episodes, was added to the Undead Burrito YouTube channel Monday, February 5th.

Sam and Pat Are Depressed follows depressed roommates Sam (Castellini) and Pat (Cherry) who help each other navigate the inherent awkwardness of therapy through profanity, humor, and take-out. The show covers topics ranging from pre-therapy small talk with your therapist and accidentally cyberstalking your counselor to more serious topics like whether or not nihilistic humor is a cry for help or simply a means of honest self-expression.

The show is largely based on the mental health journeys of Castellini and Cherry, attempting to make sense of their frustrations and fears through humor. If nothing else, they hope their blunt, honest explorations of these topics will help viewers struggling with the same issues feel less isolated.

The full season has accompanying English subtitles for viewers with hearing disorders on both YouTube and SeekaTV.

About Undead Burrito Productions

Undead Burrito Productions has produced the award-winning web series Brains (created by Castellini), the award-winning web series Relativity
(created and directed by Cherry), and the award-winning short film Ace and Anxious (written and directed by Castellini).

Sam and Pat Are Depressed season 1 is their latest completed project, with a new short film, Buy In (directed and co-written by Castellini), currently in post production.